OK Primaries & The GOP Glass Floor

The theory -- and it's still just a theory -- is that the only women Republicans getting elected anymore are for the big, high-profile, state-wide offices of Governor and US Senator; and below that, they are growing extinct.

Oklahoma has an obvious example for above the 'glass floor,' with Congresswoman Mary Fallon running for the open Governor seat. She is almost certain to win today's primary, and will start as the favorite for November. (In the state's Senate race, one of the two hopeless primary challengers to incumbent Coburn is a woman.)

So, let's dip below the glass floor, shall we?

There are open races for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Treasurer. All 9 GOP candidates in those races are men.

In the 5 Congressional Districts, a total of 22 Republicans are on the ballot, including three incumbents. Only 1 is a woman -- a fringe candidate among the large group challenging John Sullivan in his primary. (Worth noting that all 7 Republicans running for Mary Fallon's open seat are men.

In the state senate -- where there are currently no Republican women -- a grand total of 4 are running in the 24 seats up for election (compared to 21 non-incumbent men). Two are running against Democratic incumbents, one is running against a Republican incumbent, and one is running for an open Democratic seat. None are running in the three open Republican-seat districts.

Believe it or not, it gets worse. In the Oklahoma House of Representatives, all 101 seats are up for re-election, including the 9 incumbent Republican women. Aside from those incumbents, there are just 6 Republican women running. Only 1 of them is running for one of the 8 open Republican seats, and 1 for one of the 8 open Democratic seats. (Both have primary opponents.) Three are running against incumbent Democrats, and one against an incumbent Republican.

Again, this is just one more set of data toward building a complete picture, but it continues to look bleak for women Republicans -- except for those very top ladders of the rung.